BA worker loses appeal over right to wear crucifix

http://news.uk.msn.com/Article.aspx?cp-documentid=1299565

My comments: There’s three things worth mentioning here, I think.

One, that really the woman could just wear the thing inside her blouse and be happy about it without causing a fuss.

Two, that in all the years she has worked there, nobody complained once or noticed, thus proving the ruling – however logically reasonable on paper – to be red tape and pointless; she’s not been picked up once in all this time by a single customer, so really the rule is surplus to requirement.

Thirdly, there cannot be any fair or reasonable comparison made between the wearing (on show) of a tiny golden cross on a thin golden chain around ones neck, and the wearing of a niqab. The turban is a slightly different issue so I am intentionally leaving it out for now. Basically, the niqab section of the Islamic burqua is more than just a symbol of religion; in our culture it is a mask, a symbol of female opression and a definite barrier. It is sexist to refuse to remove it around male workers.

Obviously for lip readers it is a complete stopper but also for everyone; to be honest I prefer to see the facial expressions of the person I am talking to if they are serving me in their line of work. In someone else’s house, what they do is their business but when I am out and about or at work, I do expect general cultural norms to a certain extent – I don’t expect to be faced with a mask. This is the point where some folk get terribly upset and I would respectfully point out that the burqua (long, body covering outfit), headscarf (head covering) and face mask are all NOT requirements in the Koran or Hadiths. They are exactly the same as a Christian wearing a cross or a pagan wearing a pentagram/up side down cross – it’s a personal, outward working of your belief. For those who are interested, the Koran details for ladies to dress with modesty. Googling for a ref will reveal one if anyone cares enough to do it – I don’t have a link in my papers that I can easily spot.

If I wore a ski mask into a bank, petrol station or air port, I think my cultural requirements would be swiftly over ridden, and so they should be; it’s gone too far. However, if I wore a picture of a naked person doing some abhorrent act or an equally personal thing on a chain around my neck but no one could really see it …

It’s a multi sided issue but hopefully common sense will prevail. I actually do not care if burquas are worn, however sexist I feel they are (Islamic men apparently do not need to wear any special garment to be pure), but I do think the headscarf and face mask sections of the outfit need to be well and truly done away with in free countries. Women need to be shown by their families and Imans that their faith doesn’t tell them to wear this stuff – only some Islamic males do. It is these people who need to be spoken with and frankly, no body in the UK should be allowed for any reason to go into a shop or store with their face totally covered except for their eyes. I am perfectly happy for this law to be enforced upon me, before anybody complains that I wouldn’t like that ruling on myself. It’s safer for everyone, a mark of respect for those you are meeting and greeting and it enables everyone to see your face and communicate fully with you. Any medical exceptions could carry a permit, just as guide dogs are permitted in stores but no other dogs are.